Rebel candidates continue to be a headache for the Awami League and BNP even though over a dozen renegade contenders from both camps withdrew from the race on the last day of nominations yesterday.
Some 40 Awami League rebel candidates have decided to defy party discipline and remain in the race, sources said. It is estimated that the corresponding number for the BNP is around 20 rebel contenders. The exact numbers have not yet been definitively tallied.
The ruling Awami League announced that it would expel all renegade candidates, after the party’s ultimatum to them to withdraw their candidacy expired yesterday, Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub-Ul-Alam Hanif said.
“We spoke to them in every possible way ... and issued an ultimatum to be careful of the party’s strong stance on rebels candidacies. But since they defied the party’s decision, we are going to take action against them,” Hanif said at the party president’s Dhanmondi office yesterday.
He said rebels who are taking part in the election in defiance of the party’s orders will be permanently expelled. At the next meeting of the working committee, the party’s top body, the expulsions will be finalised, he said.
Earlier, Awami League central leaders issued a 24-hour ultimatum to rebel candidates to withdraw from the elections or face expulsion from the party. About half a dozen contenders paid heed to the diktat.
BNP leaders said they were urging their party’s mavericks to pull out of the contest, but said the party was open to negotiations until election day.
For the first time, municipal polls this year will be held on party lines, with each party allowed just one candidate per municipality.
Awami League president Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina nominated her party’s candidates while BNP Joint Secretary General Mohammad Shahjahan nominated candidates from his party for the municipal polls.
Threats and tears
There have been reports that the ruling Awami League has used the apparatus of the state to whip in the rebel candidate of Bhedarganj municipality in Shariatpur district.
It was alleged that the Awami League rebel candidate there, Abul Bashar, was picked up from his house by law enforcement personnel and taken to the local member of parliament’s house before being taken to the deputy commissioner’s office where he withdrew his candidacy.
When asked about it, a weeping Bashar said he had withdrawn his candidacy.
Bashar’s wife Suraya Sultana said a group of people, introducing themselves as members of the Detective Branch of police, picked her husband up and took him to local lawmaker Nahim Razzak’s house. She said Bashar was then taken to the DC office in the lawmaker’s car.
Rogue contenders of all camps risked facing the wrath of their respective parties for breaking with discipline.
But Election Commissioner Zabed Ali yesterday said if the Election Commission receives complaints from individual candidates about any sort of pressure to withdraw nominations, it would take action.
Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, joint secretary general of the BNP, said: “What action will be taken against rebels will be decided after discussions with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. I believe the rebels will show loyalty to the party and withdraw their candidacy.”
There have been a spate of withdrawals from the race leading up to yesterday’s deadline.
Kushtia municipality candidate Golam Mohsin of JaSoD withdrew his candidacy in favour of Awami League candidate Anwar Ali.
In Daulatkhan municipality of Bhola, two Awami League rebel candidates, Alamgir Hossain and Iqbal Hossain Babu, withdrew from the race as well.
On the last day to withdraw nominations, allegations were rife that ruling party lawmakers had compelled many rebel candidates to withdraw from the contest using force.
BNP rebel candidates were also alleged to have pulled out of the race under pressure from party high ups.
In Faridganj upazila of Chandpur, one Awami League and two BNP rebel candidates withdrew, but another BNP rebel decided to stay in the race.
Awami League rebel Khalilur Rahman Khan and BNP rebel Kamruzzaman Milon of Betagi upazila in Borguna district also bowed out of the race.
In Patharghata municipality of Borguna, rebel BNP candidate Moniruzzaman Monir withdrew from the elections.
In Daudkandi upazila of Comilla, Awami League rebels Abdus Sattar and Khandakar Shahjahan, and Jatiya Party candidate Ohidur Rahman also withdrew from the race.
In Laxmipur, BNP rebel Nazrul Islam Liton of Raipur municipality and Awami League rebel Belal Ahmed of Ramganj upazila also withdrew from the race.
In Kurigram municipality, two rebels of the Awami League, Kaziul Islam and Saidul Hasan Dulal, also withdrew.
In Akhaura municipality, BNP rebel candidate Zainal Abedin Abdu and Awami League rebel candidate Sheikh Burhanuddin withdrew their nominations.
In Narail municipality, two rebels of the Awami League, Hasanuzzaman and Anjuman Ara, withdrew from the race.
In Bogra’s Dhunat municipality, Awami League rebel candidate Al Amin Tarafdar withdrew his candidacy.
In Sadar municipality of Kishoreganj, BNP rebel candidate Israil Miah withdrew as well.
In Habiganj municipality, BNP rebel candidate Aminur Rashid Emran withdrew his candidacy.
In Gangni municipality of Meherpur, BNP rebel candidate Asaduzzaman Bablu pulled out of the contest.
Symbols to be allocated today
The Election Commission will allocate election symbols to mayoral and councillor candidates in 235 municipalities across the country today.
Since the municipal mayor elections are being held along partisan lines for the first time ever, the election symbols of the political parties registered with the Election Commission will be distributed among the mayoral candidates.
The EC will assign the symbols of 19 participating political parties to some 680 candidates nominated by the parties for the December 30 election.
The commission will allot election symbols to some 400 independent mayoral candidates and nearly 12,000 councillor contestants, including women councillor aspirants for the reserved seats of the municipalities.
Candidates will be allowed to use their respective party symbols to campaign from today. Although party-backed candidates know their ballot symbols, they were not allowed to use the symbols before the formal allocation.
Election campaigning began on December 9, three weeks before the date of the ballot.